“Ms. Bullock was originally contacted through her attorney to be a part of the PSA in order to promote awareness of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. At no time was she made aware that any organization, oil company or otherwise had influence over Women of the Storm or its message. We have immediately asked for her participation in the PSA be removed until the facts can be determined. Her commitment to the Gulf region has been apparent for many years and she will continue to pursue opportunities that will bring awareness and support to the plight of the Gulf region.”

A group of oil companies including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Citgo, Chevron and other polluters are using a front group called “America’s WETLAND Foundation” and a Louisiana women’s group called Women of the Storm to spread the message that U.S. taxpayers should pay for the damage caused by BP to Gulf Coast wetlands, and that the reckless offshore oil industry should continue drilling for the “wholesale sustainability” of the region.

The video urges petition signers to “Be The One” to demand the government devise and fully fund a plan to restore the Gulf. There is no mention that BP, Halliburton, Transocean, Cameron, or any other oil industry player “be the one” to pay for the damage done to the Gulf. Why call on the government to once again foot the bill for this dirty industry’s reckless behavior?

Perhaps the celebrities featured in the group’s videos are unaware of AWF’s true intent, and signed up thinking that they were helping the Gulf Coast cause in the wake of the BP gusher. But under the surface it sure looks like they are being used as pawns to lure the public into the oil industry’s corner, ensuring that taxpayers pick up the tab for much of the damage caused by BP et al to the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Coast communities, economies, and the environment.

The celebrity video announcement leads viewers to RestoreTheGulf.com where a curious reader would learn that a group called Women of the Storm is behind the effort. But a click through to the “sponsors” page reveals that this effort is actually led by America’s Wetland Foundation, which is funded chiefly by the same oil companies who have ruined the Gulf and endangered the planet with their global warming emissions.

“Shell Oil, worried about its offshore drilling platforms, put up several million dollars for a PR campaign to rebrand Louisiana’s marshes as ‘America’s Wetland.’”

A quick look at the sponsors of America’s WETLAND Foundation reveals the oily underpinnings of this greenwashing campaign, with Shell serving as “World Sponsor,” and a long list of oil companies, the American Petroleum Institute and other polluting interests who back the group financially as well.

Founded in January 2006 in response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, Women of the Storm might seem like a truly grassroots organization to the casual observer. Is it possible that they never figured out that the oil companies behind America’s Wetland Foundation had an ulterior motive in ‘partnering’ with their group - to greenwash the oil industry’s efforts to stick taxpayers with the bill for damage caused by drilling activities in the Gulf? Perhaps Women of the Storm were willing to take any help they could get, given the horrible response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by the Bush Administration.

Anne Milling, founder of Women of the Storm, says that the organization has never received a penny directly from BP or any other major oil company, although she did acknowledge Women of the Storm received advisory assistance from some of these entities when originally launching the project after Hurricane Katrina. Mrs. Milling was unapologetic when asked about the prominent placement of the America’s Wetland Foundation banner on the group’s website and its various partnerships with the oil-backed group. She sees nothing wrong with AWF’s cozy relationship with the same oil and gas giants that are partly responsible for the coastal wetlands degradation that is the focus of her group’s concern.

“to resolve the maze of bureaucratic roadblocks that threaten the long-term sustainability of region.”

The AWF’s “America’s Energy Coast” white paper lays out what the oil-funded campaign is primarily concerned with protecting:

“At risk is an engine that fuels, feeds and supports the American economy. This is the nation’s energy corridor that provides 90% of the domestic offshore oil and gas supply and is tied to 50% of the nation’s refining capacity.”

Never mind the pelicans and dolphins, this is all about oil production. In language that demonstrates fully the bastardization of the word “sustainability” by polluting interests, the paper suggests:

“…our nation does not fully appreciate the benefits derived from these working wetlands. … The ongoing debate at the national level on the best use of the region’s natural resources has failed to recognize the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to the challenge of wholesale sustainability. ”

“Wholesale sustainability?” And by that the AWF apparently means:

“… no greater threat to sustainability exists than the threat of inaction or the maze of governmental processes that prevent efficient solutions. … the long-term survival and success of this region is ultimately tied to large-scale Federal recognition and support. ” … “Among the most challenging obstacles to achieving sustainability along America’s Energy Coast are inconsistent laws, policies and regulations at all levels of government. ”

And why is the oil-backed group such a big fan of restoring wetlands and achieving “A New Sustainability”? Could it possibly have anything to do with protecting oil rigs and refineries?

“These coastal landscapes provide protection to millions of people and hundreds of billions of dollars worth of property and infrastructure because they serve as buffers against hurricanes and storm surges.”

The AWF paper even has the gall to blame global warming for threatening oil and gas infrastructure, oblivious to the irony of such an argument:

“energy production and navigation activities are essential to America’s economic interests, but environmental threats, such as increasingly intense storms, rising sea levels, and ongoing coastal erosion and subsidence pose a significant risk to the physical infrastructure that supports these activities.”

This week, AWF ran ads in several DC and Gulf Coast media outlets touting a letter the group sent to Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy. The top priority item requested in the letter:

That would of course mean more risky offshore drilling, one of the primary threats to the Gulf’s health, as the BP disaster has made clear.

So next time you sign a petition ostensibly about ‘saving’ the Gulf ecosystem, make sure you know who is behind it first. America’s Wetland Foundation seems more interested in saving face for the oil and gas industry and tapping taxpayer coffers to protect oil and gas infrastructure than truly protecting the Gulf Coast.

BP and the rest of the offshore drilling industry should “Be The One” to clean up their mess, not the U.S. taxpayer.

Previous Comments

While I applaud the research that went into this, and I think it is a very scammy thing for the oil companies to do, you lost me on the very last line. “BP .. should .. clean up their mess, not the U.S. taxpayer.”

From day one the person or group I was most disappointed in was not BP or the oil companies, but the U.S. President. The proper reaction would have been to head up a government run task force and focus on recruiting the best people to help clean the spill up in the shortest time possible, recruiting from BP and all other Oil companies that drill in the gulf first, then reaching out for a world-wide effort.

The main problem with the clean up efforts is that everyone wants to blame someone else and have them pay for it. This is the very worst side of a Capitalist nation. The first reaction should have been to stop the leak, and then clean up the spill, and then, AFTER it is all fixed, worry about money.

Should the U.S. Taxpayer have paid for it? My answer is simply, can you think of a better current use for our taxes?

Should BP have paid for it? They probably couldn’t without bankrupting themselves. They should be made to pay for as much as possible, but this wasn’t a small company issue at any point along the way. It is a GLOBAL problem, and we shouldn’t be trivializing it into the responsibility of one single company.

They should be doing their share, but we can’t realistically expect any money-driven company to be responsible enough to save our planet in such a crisis.

i appreciate your blog and interest in La. oil and gas problems. Our history and loss of wet lands really started around the 1940’s. Plaquemines Parish’s colorful and corrupt boss Leander Perez, allowed through kickbacks and extortion, oil companies to lease state lands for exploration and drilling /the proceeds going to shadow companies under his control. (no $ for the state) The damage done at that time is what is allowing salt water intrusion destroying lands and culture of our rich coastal regions. The canals that were dug and the vehicles that were used scared the land permanently. if you Google Earth our coast land you can see the damage done. Luckily these practices have not continued. The Nutria(THISIS A BIGGIE) and global warming have not helped our cause.

Louisiana does not receive ANY revenue from Big Oil. The money goes directly to the Feds. What the Women of the Storm are advocating is that Louisiana receive part of the revenue that goes to our wonderful Gov. Alaska has a great deal. They actually get a percentage of the Big Oil money for their state.

Basically Louisiana is a state that has a love hate relationship with Big Oil..Thousands are employed and lively hoods depend. As an informed and expert on such matters I am sure you have watched all of the CSPAN coverage with direct testimony as most of us here in Louisiana have. As you know the persons directly involved ..on the rig… you would also heard testimony from the widow of Shane Roshto, who wants the ban on Gulf Coast TOBELIFTED. Go figure..
Hey if change is going to occur stop driving your car and help to lower the demand..
We are so screwed down here/ now we don’t even have a seafood industry! And.. the real problem, the much denied ” Plumes”are still there.

I am not by any stretch a WOMENOFTHESTORM. Nor do I care a hoot about what Sandra Bullock does. I am a politically active artist that has seen first hand how ineffective our Gov. is. By the way, ART is thriving in this environment of continuing activism.

Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.

There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.